St. Ann's Home

Grand Rapid, MichiganSt. Joseph’s Home of St. Ann

In the fall of 1949, Bishop Francis J. Hass of Grand Rapids invited our Sisters to open a Home for the Aged in his diocese. Mother M. Francis accepted the invitation and her first trip to Grand Rapids to look for a suitable property was futile and returned to Wisconsin. When they returned in the early winter of 1950, the Sisters were shown a 19-family apartment building which was then purchased and renovated. They took up residence in January of 1951. Regardless of the severity of Michigan winters, they walked to the chapel of the Little Sisters of the poor for daily Mass, or as they laughingly put it, they "slipped and slid there on the ice." The generosity of the people of Grand Rapids was overwhelming and our Sisters were deeply grateful. In the mid 60's, due to the stringency of the Fire Code and the deterioration of the neighborhood, the Sisters began making plans for new St. Ann's. They purchased a 15-acre plot of land on West Leonard and groundbreaking took place on May 4, 1967. Now, for more than 65 years our home has been providing a loving and spiritual community for older residents inspired by our Carmelite foundation of fraternity, service and prayer.